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Punching above his weight? Meet the couple crowned champions for their mismatched looks

A happy couple prove personality is more important than look as they win big in a 'Punching Above Your Weight' competition

It's not really the sort of competition you'd like to shout about winning, but Darren Donaghey is as laid back about his appearance as you could possibly get.

And it's a good job, as the funny-looking chap has just won a not-particularly-prestigious award for 'punching above his weight' with his significantly more attractive fiancée Kate Cathart.

Sales advisor Darren, 29, has been crowned ‘Punching Above Your Weight Champion’ for pulling stunning Kate.

But it's not a flash in the pan, the couple have been together for eight years, have one son Jaxon, 2, and are planning to get married later this year.

The comp was run by Newcastle-based Metro Radio station, and its listeners voted him one of the region’s luckiest men.

It sounds like a horrible joke friends would play but self-aware Darren actually put himself up for the award.

“I heard the competition on the radio when I was driving to work. Before even asking Kate I’d uploaded a photo of us together to the Metro website.

“It attracted plenty of attention and we found ourselves selected as one of the five finalists."

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He added: "For years I’ve had stick about how I managed to woo Kate and it’s not unusual to be out together and other guys to innocently start chatting Kate up, thinking that I couldn’t possibly be with her.

“Even when we are out shopping at Asda I get these funny looks from blokes and I know what they are thinking.

"Some of the other blokes in the final were pretty horrid so at least now I know how I measure up!"

Kate isn't sure what attracted her to Darren, saying: "I don't know, really, but I did think there was something there, otherwise I probably wouldn't have gone there.

"I mistook him for his cousin when I first met him so I felt a bit bad and thought I’d better give him a chance.

"We’re still here eight years later, even if he does look a bit like Rodney off Only Fools and Horses."

She added: "I love Darren dearly and looks aren't everything.  He may not be Tom Cruise, but looks fade, and personality stays for ever."

The couple were a little surprised that the competition caused controversy on social media. They hit back saying: "We couldn’t understand why some people were offended,” Kate said. “It was light hearted and nobody forced us to enter.”

The couple won an all-inclusive two week holiday to Rhodes, Greece, which they will be taking as their Honeymoon.